Syracuse, N.Y. -- With summer about to officially dawn, we're always on the lookout for books to read at the beach, on the porch or in the backyard hammock. So as a kind of public service, I offer a couple:

-- "The Ghost Horse" by Joe Layden.

-- "Someday!" by Carl E. Pfeiffer.

Truth be told, I haven't yet read the former (although it does sit on the coffee table at home), and the latter will not be published until July 5. But I alert you to both books because of their local natures.

And now, I turn this thin slice of cyberspace over to the respective writers.

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I'm an Upstate-based author and the former sports editor of the (Albany) Times Union.

I've written other books over the years, but "The Ghost Horse" has a Central New York and Capital District connection. It's about a hard-luck trainer (and Camillus resident) named Tim Snyder and a horse no one wanted named Lisa's Booby Trap, and their brief rise to fame in the summer of 2010 at both Finger Lakes Race Track and Saratoga Race Course.

"The Ghost Horse" can be found on Amazon.

-- Joe Layden
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

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I am a retired Army Colonel now working as a civilian at U.S. Central Command and I write in my free time, including "Someday!"

The book is about being a life-long fan of the Buffalo Bills and, more broadly, about the importance I place on being a Buffalonian. In it, I liken the Bills to a dysfunctional family member who repeatedly breaks my heart.

I have structured "Someday!" around eight losses that, to me, were heartbreaking. Some of those losses were quite famous (for instance, the Super Bowl XXV defeat at the hands of the Giants); others more obscure (i.e., the 1994 opener against the triumphant Jets). I describe how each loss impacted me, and tell some humorous (and sometimes sad) personal stories about that time in my life.

Of course, throughout "Someday!" I give my take on life as a tortured Bills fan.

"Someday!" can be found on Amazon.

-- Carl E. Pfeiffer
Lithia, Fla.

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Here is the usual weekly “schedule of events” in Bud Poliquin’s corner of syracuse.com:

MONDAY -- By 8 a.m.: The daily column/commentary. By 11:30 a.m.: “How’d I Do?” By 6 p.m.: “Ask Me Anything” by submitting questions (to which I’ll give answers) on any sports-related topic to bpoliquin@syracuse.com. (Please include your name and the identity of your hometown.)

TUESDAY -- By 8 a.m.: The daily column/commentary. By 11:30 a.m.: “Coach’s Corner,” wherein readers can submit questions to any coach at any level in Central New York (and answers will be posted) to bpoliquin@syracuse.com. (Please include name and hometown.) By 6 p.m.: “The Video Store.”

WEDNESDAY -- By 8 a.m.: The daily column/commentary. By 11:30 a.m.: “The List.” By 6 p.m.: “E-Mail Of The Week,” wherein readers can submit legitimate essays/open letters/observations for purposes of posting to bpoliquin@syracuse.com. (Please include name and hometown.)